1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unfixed frame fixing method wherein, when the image of a frame recorded on a recording film accommodated in a cassette is not fixed accidentally, the address of the unfixed frame is stored in memory, and the unfixed frame is automatically fixed when it becomes possible to carry out a fixing operation. The present invention also pertains to an apparatus which may suitably be employed to carry out said method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical recording system, an image is recorded on a recording film by successively carrying out charging/exposure, development and fixing. The fixing is effected by fusing toner to the film by means of radiant heat obtained from flashlight applied by a strobe or flash lamp.
However, there are cases where fixing is not effected due to burnout of a fixing lamp or a power failure, and in such cases, toner may drop from the film as it is moved, thus causing the quality of the image to be deteriorated. In other words, recording systems involve a fear of unfixed frames being generated, and since such systems are generally unable to effect fixing alone, it has heretofore been necessary to prepare a separate fixing device for fixing unfixed frames.
The above-described system for recording the image on the recording film has been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,697,176, 3,964,828, 3,972,610, 4,461,561 and 4,600,291.
The cassette which is suitably applied for accommodating the recording film has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,649 and U.S. application Ser. No. 819,077. Also, there is a disclosure about a retrieval of frame of microimage in U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,769 and U.S. application Ser. No. 884,344. In these related arts, however, there is not any disclosure about a pertinent countermeasure to be taken when the fixing lamp is not flashed, for example, due to its burnout or the like and fixing is not effected, which is a problem to be overcome in the present invention.